Ten Years of Monitoring Illicit Drug Use in Prison Populations in Europe: Issues and Challenges

Carpentier, Chloé; Royuela, Luis; Noor, André; Hedrich, Dagmar

doi:10.1111/j.1468-2311.2011.00677.x

Cited by 38 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…The number of prisoners with a psychiatric diagnosis of substance use may thus be underestimated, especially for men, given their greater numbers. The heterogeneity of data on substance abuse in prison underscores the challenge of obtaining an accurate prevalence of drug use/misuse in the prison population [ 38 ], especially when some prisoners hide their dependencies to avoid sanctions [ 21 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disease profiles of detainees in the Canton of Vaud in Switzerland: gender and age differences in substance abuse, mental health and chronic health conditions

et al. 2015

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BackgroundLiterature on the disease profile of prisoners that differentiates by age and gender remains sparse. This study aimed to describe the health of correctional inmates in terms of substance abuse problems and mental and somatic health conditions, and compare it by gender and age.MethodsThis study examined cross-sectional data from the Canton of Vaud in Switzerland on the health conditions of detainees who were in prison on January 1, 2011 or entered prison in 2011. Health conditions validated by physician examination were reported using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) version 10. The analyses were descriptive by groups of prisoners: the entire sample (All), Men, Older adults and Women.ResultsA total of 1,664 individuals were included in the analysis. Men comprised 91.5 % of the sample and had a mean age of 33 years. The other 8.5 % were women and had an average age of 39. Older adults (i.e., age 50 and older) represented 7 % of the total sample. Overall, 80 % of inmates were non-Swiss citizens, but the proportion of Swiss prisoners was higher among the older adults (51 %) and women (29 %). Overall, 41 % of inmates self-reported substance abuse problems. Of those, 27 % were being treated by psychiatrists for behavioral disorders related to substance abuse. Chronic infectious diseases were found in 9 % of the prison population. In addition, 27 % of detainees suffered from serious mental health conditions. Gender and age had an influence on the disease profile of this sample: compared to the entire prison population, the older inmates were less likely to misuse illegal drugs and to suffer from communicable infections but exhibited more problems with alcohol and a higher burden of chronic health conditions. Female prisoners were more disposed to mental health problems (including drug abuse) and infectious diseases. In terms of chronic diseases, women suffered from the same conditions as men, but the diseases were more prevalent in women.ConclusionIt is important to understand the different disease profiles of prisoners by gender and age, as it helps identify the needs of different groups and tailor age-and gender-specific interventions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disease profiles of detainees in the Canton of Vaud in Switzerland: gender and age differences in substance abuse, mental health and chronic health conditions

et al. 2015

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“…7 A study of drug use in prison in the European Union, found that reported rates of ever having injected drugs in prisons among the countries providing data were in the range of 15–30%. 204 While some PWUD before serving a prison sentence will discontinue or reduce their use in prison or change their method of use, some people will seek to maintain drug use, including drug injection, or will begin using drugs while in prison. 205 In addition to drug-related risk, PWUD in prison face HIV risks associated with unprotected sex, sexual violence, and unsafe tattooing.…”

Section: Drug-related Incarceration and Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Public health and international drug policy

et al. 2016

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Executive summary In September 2015, the member states of the United Nations endorsed sustainable development goals (SDG) for 2030 that aspire to human rights-centered approaches to ensuring the health and well-being of all people. The SDGs embody both the UN Charter values of rights and justice for all and the responsibility of states to rely on the best scientific evidence as they seek to better humankind. In April 2016, these same states will consider control of illicit drugs, an area of social policy that has been fraught with controversy, seen as inconsistent with human rights norms, and for which scientific evidence and public health approaches have arguably played too limited a role. The previous UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on drugs in 1998 – convened under the theme “a drug-free world, we can do it!” – endorsed drug control policies based on the goal of prohibiting all use, possession, production, and trafficking of illicit drugs. This goal is enshrined in national law in many countries. In pronouncing drugs a “grave threat to the health and well-being of all mankind,” the 1998 UNGASS echoed the foundational 1961 convention of the international drug control regime, which justified eliminating the “evil” of drugs in the name of “the health and welfare of mankind.” But neither of these international agreements refers to the ways in which pursuing drug prohibition itself might affect public health. The “war on drugs” and “zero-tolerance” policies that grew out of the prohibitionist consensus are now being challenged on multiple fronts, including their health, human rights, and development impact. The Johns Hopkins – Lancet Commission on Drug Policy and Health has sought to examine the emerging scientific evidence on public health issues arising from drug control policy and to inform and encourage a central focus on public health evidence and outcomes in drug policy debates, such as the important deliberations of the 2016 UNGASS on drugs. The Johns Hopkins-Lancet Commission is concerned that drug policies are often colored by ideas about drug use and drug dependence that are not scientifically grounded. The 1998 UNGASS declaration, for example, like the UN drug conventions and many national drug laws, does not distinguish between drug use and drug abuse. A 2015 report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, by contrast, found it important to emphasize that “[d]rug use is neither a medical condition nor does it necessarily lead to drug dependence.” The idea that all drug use is dangerous and evil has led to enforcement-heavy policies and has made it difficult to see potentially dangerous drugs in the same light as potentially dangerous foods, tobacco, alcohol for which the goal of social policy is to reduce potential harms. Health impact of drug policy based on enforcement of prohibition The pursuit of drug prohibition has generated a parallel economy run by criminal networks. Both these networks, which resort to violence to protect their markets, and the police and sometimes military ...

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“…The challenges in accurately measuring prison substance use have been recognised in both Australia and overseas [1,13–15]. Calls have been made to implement a standardised monitoring tool so that national and international comparisons of substance use can be carried out [1].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenges and opportunities in using wastewater analysis to measure drug use in a small prison facility

Dyken

Lai

Thai

et al. 2014

Drug and Alcohol Review

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Ten Years of Monitoring Illicit Drug Use in Prison Populations in Europe: Issues and Challenges

Cited by 38 publications

References 15 publications

Disease profiles of detainees in the Canton of Vaud in Switzerland: gender and age differences in substance abuse, mental health and chronic health conditions

Disease profiles of detainees in the Canton of Vaud in Switzerland: gender and age differences in substance abuse, mental health and chronic health conditions

Public health and international drug policy

Challenges and opportunities in using wastewater analysis to measure drug use in a small prison facility

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